Getting on Cable Set-Top Boxes Brings the Company Closer to the TV Mainstream—and Could Shake Up the Landscape

Netflix wants to be a cable channel when it grows up. And it may be moving one step closer to its coming of age.

The online video company is in talks with several U.S. pay-TV providers to put a Netflix app on their set-top boxes. Netflix, often viewed as an alternative to pay-TV, is already available on many devices. But the fact that cable companies are considering inviting it in suggests they no longer view it as a threat.